Chapter 25

The Call to Adventure

The streets were quiet as I walked back to the guild. I could sense a few minds here and there, mostly inside closed shops. I had actually ended up leaving at around three in the morning.

I was deep in thought about everything Hoyt had revealed to me when I sensed a pair of minds following me at the edge of my perception. The next time I had to make a turn, I snuck a look. It turned out to be a pair of guards.

To say my instincts were unhappy with being followed, was an understatement. My tail swished back and forth violently as I forced myself to continue walking. The claws on my feet scraped the cobbled stone road. One ear was cocked back to listen to my stalkers.

"What do you reckon it's doing out so late, Jaff?"

"Dunno, but I don't like letting a beast run free 'round the town, Callum's lost his damn mind."

"I heard them say it swore an oath to the mother though?"

"Aye, an oath to the goddess, everyone seems so damn impressed. Mother of all. She made us, sure. But she also made the damn elves and monsters, she doesn't care about us any more'n those freaks. Why should I trust her?"

"That's blasphemy Jaff, I'll not hear it."

I heard a scuffle behind me, as I kept walking. They soon fell out of earshot.

I made it to the guild's compound without further incident.

When I padded by the guild hall, I didn't sense any minds inside, so I just headed straight for my room.

Outside my door there was a small table with a covered plate. There was a note leaning on the domed cover. The handwriting was neat, blocky, and easy to read.

Angel

I'm sorry if you didn't feel comfortable coming to dinner. I understand how sometimes being around groups of people can be overwhelming. Probably more than you would guess. I won't try to force you to endure more than you feel ready for. I do however believe that in the current situation, it is best for us as a guild to spend at least a little time together every day as a group. We need as much unity as we can muster with so many of our members taken from us. I hope you can find the mental fortitude to attempt to make it through at least one meal a day.

Perhaps in the morning we can discuss an ability I have that may help you, if you grant me permission.

Sincerely,

Ivo

P.S.

When you didn't show up, Nefen put this aside for you. I simply volunteered to deliver it.

I lifted the cover, and found what looked like a whole roasted chicken sitting next to a glowing crystal that was slowly releasing the fire mana that was stored inside it in the form of heat.

I shrugged and took the plate into my room. It seemed my guildmates were being extremely considerate. I made a promise to myself to try a bit harder to make it for meals. It's not like I didn't like people. My new guildmates seemed nice enough, if sometimes a little intense. I wasn't even sure I could blame my instincts for how overwhelmed people made me feel. It had been a long time since I had real company before I died. The instincts certainly didn't help matters though.

As I walked into my room, I popped the heat filled crystal into my mouth without thinking about it. The mana it contained worked its way through me, a pleasant sensation of warmth radiated from my belly. I decided that my instincts must know what they were about in this case. Eating rocks didn't personally strike me as a healthy practice, but whatever.

I did get around to scarfing down the chicken as well. It seemed when food was in front of me, I was a never ending pit of hunger.

After consuming the chicken, I set the plate down by my door, so I would hopefully remember to return it in the morning. I absent-mindedly licked my hands off after I set the plate down, only catching on to my own behavior when I was almost done. I chuffed at myself, it wasn't the first time I caught myself doing something I wouldn't be caught dead doing in my previous existence, it almost assuredly wouldn't be the last.

I sent my attire wherever the System put it when it wasn't on me, and curled up under the covers to sleep. Going through all that mana in one day was exhausting.

I dreamt I was in my Mana Beast form, running through the woods. It was myself, not a memory of the young spirit beast. I was looking for something in the area I had been deposited into this world. The territory I had told Hoyt was mine. It seemed some part of me viewed that as a statement of fact.

Something was happening, the mana was moving strangely. Like it was being drawn somewhere. I knew I had to find it. I raced through the forest, following the mana's path.

I finally found where it was going. It was the exact spot where I had been dropped. I recognized it, because I knew every inch of the area from my three days in that healing trance.

The mana was coalescing, I felt strongly that something was going to appear here. Something that could not be allowed to exist in my territory. Something I would have to wait for. But I had to take care of it before any of the death mana corrupted creatures sensed its existence. I knew it would be a horrible outcome if I didn't make sure it was gone.

I also felt, strongly, that I could not tell anyone else about what was happening. This was private, this was mine . No one else could be allowed to touch it.

I woke up four legged, and tangled in my covers, to Ivo using the communication circle on my door.

"Good morning Angel, I'm a little early, I would like to have a word. If you don't mind. I see you found the dinner and note. I'll wait here for a few minutes." The circle dimmed.

I tried for a moment to untangle myself, as a half awake beast it was awkward. I managed to shift back with some effort. It felt like my beast form fought me, or maybe I was just too damn sleepy to think straight.

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I summoned my clothes, and ran my brush through my fur as I stumbled to the door. I hadn't gotten much sleep, again, this seemed to be becoming a habit.

I opened the door to see Ivo standing there Pierce stood behind him with his arms crossed looking to my sleep addled brain very much like a bodyguard. My eyes were still half open, I mumbled something similar to "good morning you two, sorry I missed dinner," while yawning wide enough to swallow a basketball.

Ivo didn't miss a beat. "Ah it's okay Angel, I suppose I misinterpreted the reason you weren't there?"

Sounds came out of my mouth that could be roughly approximated to vaguely sound like. "Yeah sorry, I met a friend last night, he's leaving town tomorrow, so I ended up staying later than I expected."

"Oh? I didn't know you knew anyone in Brightwood. I thought you would be rather adrift here." Ivo responded, seeming to actually understand my nearly incoherent mumbling perfectly.

"He's a Traveling Merchant." I'm pretty sure came out more like heesa tavlin m-chnt

"Ah, I see. Say, you seem a little tired, maybe you should just go back to sleep for a while, I'll tell everyone you had a late night. I'm sure Nefen will set something aside for you to get when you are ready. Good night Angel, I'm sorry I woke you up." He waved at me.

I grumbled an acknowledgement and closed the door. I was back asleep in no time at all. This time, if I dreamed, I didn't remember it.

I woke up both rested, and strangely restless.

I was overcome with the feeling that I needed to go out and hunt. My instincts screamed. Something was coming, and I needed to be much stronger before it appeared. If I didn't take care of it, before the death mana touched it. I knew whatever it was, would become corrupted by it.

It would take the territory that I had claimed. Which was very important to me, I hadn't thought much when I claimed it. But it was mine and I now had to defend it . If I didn't, whatever was coming would end up spreading the death mana's influence.

I had to do this myself. So I had to prepare. I realized that I was pacing in my room like a caged tiger. I tried to calm myself, and convince myself that these ideas were silly. If something was coming, I should tell Samuel. But no one else could know. I grabbed my head. I felt it, the thoughts weren't coming from me. But they were trying to sink into my mind.

Belua's mark flared on my forehead. My mind blanked for a moment. I heard a calming female voice telling me everything was okay. This was for the best. She told me to stop fighting. Something about her voice made me trust her entirely. I relaxed, letting the ideas sink into me, and become my own.

When my mark's light faded. I was slightly confused. Why was I standing here? I needed to leave the town, and find something to hunt. I had to keep getting stronger.

I didn't even bother to brush my fur. I just shook my mane as I headed to the guildhall. I would grab whatever Nefen had set aside for me, then head into the forest.

I stalked quickly through the compound. My tail was held low and still behind me, my claws extending and retracting in time with my steps. My staff, forgotten, followed closely behind me.

I was glad there was only one mind in the guildhall, they wouldn't likely hold me from what I needed to do for very long.

There was another covered plate like the one from last night. With a simple card leaning next to it, that said Angel on it in large letters.

I pulled the lid off, and ate like an animal. I didn't even think about it. I just had to eat so I could hunt. When the warm crystal went down my throat I heard someone cough.

"Little brother, I do not believe you are supposed to consume fire crystals. Though perhaps it is fine for your kind…" A large, calming hand laid itself on my back. "I can see it in you little brother, you are feeling the Call to Adventure. For us demihumans, it often manifests as an urge to hunt. It's a little early for you to feel it, but perhaps you somehow sense that I've put aside a mission for you today."

I set down the plate, and turned to look at him. My ears were perked up, he had my full attention. A mission would be much better than having to find worthy prey for myself. He could just tell me where to go, I was ready. I licked my lips, the opportunity to hunt made my fur tingle.

I didn't realize that my claws were extended. I didn't feel how my mouth was cracked open, letting the scents in the guildhall feed me more information. I certainly wasn't aware of the feral glint in my eyes.

Samuel took me in with calm, kind eyes, and spoke softly. "You are not going to be sent alone, little brother. You will go to your room and wait. I will inform those who will be aiding you in your hunt. We will speak before you go." His words were softly spoken, but his aura pressed on me. My ears drooped, and my shoulders and tail fell. I didn't even respond. I just followed his order.

I paced the floor of my comfortable cage. My mind was whirling. I knew something was off, I was too agitated, this wasn't me. But maybe it was now, maybe I would have times like this. Samuel called it the Call to Adventure. Was this a System thing? A class thing? I didn't like it at all.

I repeated to myself the mantra that this was better than being dead. I told myself that Hoyt said it was best not to fight these things. But all I wanted was to calm the hell down.

I forced myself into meditation. By the time Samuel asked to be let in, I was in a much better place. I still felt the need to hunt, and soon, but I was no longer feeling the urge to claw my way through anything that got in my way.

"Ah good, little brother, it seems the time alone did you well. I have Nefen outside. He will be watching over you today on your mission." I frowned at Samuel. Nefen seemed okay, nice even, he set food aside for me twice. But I didn't really know anything about him.

"Do not look at me like that little brother, Nefen is a good man. He is also your acting guild leader in the mage's guild. He is level 150, and knows much more about the ways of mana than I." Samuel put a hand on my shoulder, and looked me in the eyes.

"Given your state today I have asked him if he would take an oath of secret keeping. I did not tell him why exactly. But he agreed. I believe, as your other guild leader. He should be made aware of what you are. But it is your choice. I only recommend that you should do this. With you being as worked up as you were, I judged that you may instinctively shift in the coming combat." Samuel backed away from me, and stood by the door, waiting for my response.

I shrugged. I knew how the oath I had taken earlier bound itself to me. If the man took an oath, it would be safe, and Samuel trusted him.

"Let him in." I said

Once Nefen came in, we exchanged pleasantries. He offered to take the oath "So we could get on with things."

The oath went like this:

I Nefen, level 150 half goblin Elementalist, son of an unknown father, do hereby swear on my class and role as acting Guildmaster of the Brightwood Mages Guild, that I will keep secret those things which Angel, level 41 apparent demihuman Wild Mage, of a lineage unknown to me, wishes to keep safe. I will not speak of anything told to me in confidence, unless I judge it necessary for the safety of myself, my fellow guild members, Angel himself, or society at large. Until such a time as the secret has been publicly revealed, as secrets so often are.

As an oath for secrecy, there were a ton of caveats. But I might do the same. I sighed, and told him I wasn't a demihuman, I didn't even get to saying what I was.

The man laughed at me.

"Angel, anyone with advanced mage sight can see your core. Anyone with a sufficiently superior inspection skill can see your full System stat layout. I have both. This is not the secret you believe it is." He peered at Samuel.

"Samuel, you should absolutely be aware of this. Why did you ask me to swear an oath over such nonsense? I thought it was going to be important, or dangerous, or both!" The half goblin man threw up his arms. "I'll meet you at the gate, young Spirit Beast, we'll see how much you have to learn about real combat today." He stalked out of the room, muttering something about alarmists.

The old bear rubbed the back of his head. "I had not considered that… Well, it is for the best. Come little brother, there is no reason to tarry here. We shall meet Nefen and Zeke at the gates, I will describe the mission in detail on the way."

As we walked, he did indeed explain. Zeke wouldn't be hunting with me. He had a skill that let him track down mission targets over a long range, and a second skill that could help groups move quickly to those targets.

After Zeke got us within range of the mission, he would leave. He wasn't at all equipped to safely fight the targets lined up for me, and moving a group was very tiring for him.

Nefen would follow at a distance, watching how it went to give me pointers later. He would only get involved if I absolutely needed to be pulled out of the fire.

As for my targets. Hearing what they were sent a shiver down my spine.